The most interesting thing about life is how just when you think you are getting a handle on it all, well, you just up and change your mind.
For the last few months I would describe myself as having a VERY casual workaday wardrobe.
It was almost a uniform actually: skinny cords or skinny paige premium pants, a tshirt and flowy White + Warren cardigan.
think this...
and
Very comfortable. Sometimes I would add in a comfy dress or skirt, but all in all, a good workaday uniform.
But so much still went unworn in my closet, so I tried to shake it up a bit, you know, trot out the other things to justify keeping them.
As you know, I have been saving my money and have only a limited budget for clothing in 2014.
I have also decided to shop seasonally - once in May and once again in October. That doesn't mean nothing else will ever be purchased in between those times (funds permitting) but that my plan in general is to make clothing shopping a special event.
Knowing we were going to Florida and that I might get to try on some things in advance of my spring purchases (a must if you are nowhere near any of the stores), I thought I should see what interested me for Spring 2014 and make a Pinterest board for inspiration.
But then it happened. I appeared to like almost nothing. I was aghast to discover that I cared for so little on almost all of the retail sites. I went from site to site, saying "ho-hum, not me any more.." and not only that - because I have limited funds, I am now PICKY. PICKY, PICKY, PICKY!
I assume this is related to entering this new phase of mostly working from home and being 50+. It is also related to the fact that though I dressed quite casually this winter, I did miss some of my fancier work duds now and then.
Whereas my old taste tended to fancy pants, more embellished tops, etc, with some basics thrown in, along with corporate suits for the office, my tastes are changing dramatically.
I seem to only be attracted to evening clothes or Sofia Coppola's esthetic.
I saw myself wearing this....
and this....
Or else I want to dress like this:
In fact, the only clothes I find myself attracted to recently are simple, chic clothes from Emerson Fry, Theory, Judith and Charles and Luisa Cerano. Everything else has left me quite cold.
This shouldn't have been a surprise, since my favourite purchase of fall 2014 was a top almost identical to the one below by Theory:
And I love this boho top from some birthday funds:
How interesting.
I am more and more convinced that half of my clothing could still go and I would be none the worse for it and I suspect that much of it will go in the coming couple of months.
I am unsure what I will actually buy for spring/summer this year, but it is interesting to see how one's taste can change so significantly....
And I will be curious to see how that all turns out....
Anyone else find their taste really changing these days? I envy those like Dani, who has it all locked down!
Have a great day and stay safe out there!
I'm not sure if it's my taste or my lifestyle that has changed. As my life has changed quite radically over the past ten years, the uniform has changed correspondingly. Now, I'm embracing quality but higher care fabrics. I do a lot of hand laundering and send out more to the cleaners but I like looking dressy even if nobody sees it but me!
ReplyDeleteLove the simple pieces you chose. Tres chic!!
I hear you Jen, I was laundering cashmere and I handwash (in the machine) my paige trousers about every other week. I also think that as I am not so svelte right now, cleaner lines are probably the easiest to wear! ;-)
DeleteI think it's natural for your style to evolve over time, but also clothes evolve too. Fashions change, and even if you're a 'classic' dresser, you'll find that the overall look alters a little - the pants are shorter cut, or have front pleats or flat front, or are hipster or are high waisted, etc etc.
ReplyDeleteI was actually reflecting on the things that are still in my wardrobe from 5-6 years ago. There are so many things in the past 5-6 years that I have bought and then moved on. A number of factors have caused this, such as my style evolving, shape changing, and my circumstances changing (have had another baby in that time). So I really think it's natural that you're evolving style wise. But as for the lack of desire to shop... now that's not natural at all! (but well done on that front!)
Heidi - you made me laugh out loud! One of the things on my wishlist (which granted may change before the shopping!) is a pair of black theory trousers as above. My old ones have died, but I have never had a pair of trousers I liked better!
DeleteI did a major closet purge this weekend with a dear friend that I trust and came to terms with some of my style issues. More in a post later. I still have options, but noticed a severe gap in my wardrobe - color. Much of what has gone out is too big, and somehow most of what remains is neutral. Like you - very little online has been tempting since my criteria is all about color that flatters me and perk up my neutrals.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how much I want to be that chic Vince gal, I'm not-which is good I suppose because those amazing styles do nothing for my curves. What I'm drawn to has changed but what I wear and looks best on me, has not.
Looking forward to that post Julie! As you know, I love colour and have a lot, but I have found that some of my happiest outfits this winter involved my light camel-coloured White+Warren cashmere cardigan. I realized I am liking things that skim right now, which is related to the 15 extra pounds, but also to my age I think. I pretty much loved everything in the pre-spring emerson fry lookbook, but since there is no place to try on, will look for similar styles here and there. I can't wait for that post. I do love Vince!
Deletewhat I also realize is that I need to move my clothes around better seasonally. when I visited our Dani, she was quite brilliant at that. There are some things in my closet right now that are fall items and they are not things I would wear right now. I need a new system! Hmmm.. how do I talk Dani into a working holiday?
I agree with the wise women above: it's s good and normal thing for one's style to evolve. In the past decade I've become fond of far more structured, grown-up styles, rather than the smock shapes I favoured in my early 30s. I've also come around to colour.
ReplyDeleteI think your neutral, chic styles are wonderful. Sofia Coppola is very elegant indeed!
I reckon your shopping ennui is also justified. I'm not finding much to thrill me online, either. The only things I like are terrifyingly expensive pieces by Max Mara and Hugo Boss.....
Ruth I hear you! The Hugo Boss show was beautiful to my eyes, but the prices. A shop here in town sells their lowest line and it is still $700 for a blouse!
DeleteLook for a Hugo Boss outlet in FL - we have one near us and the prices are more readable - about JCREW range, but such better quality!
DeleteThanks Anon - I will definitely do that this week!
DeleteHi! Have you checked out Marimekko? It's my new favorite, and it has all the clean and interesting cuts, but with a lot of color and some amazing prints, floral as well as graphic. Almost everything wash up easily in the machine, and keeps really well. And the shapes are nicely forgiving, but structured enough to look very put together, I think. They're pricey, although not horribly so, but can be found on sale with a little googling.
ReplyDeleteOh, and they have that mid century vibe, once favored by Jackie.
DeleteHi Anon! I have never even heard of Marimekko (but then again I knew nothing of mercury in retrograde either!). I think Julie could find her colour there - it is quite delightful! thanks for the heads up!
DeleteI've always been a May/October shopper and I am very very picky, I absolutely love the last few pictures, they are just perfection. I do want two find two inexpensive, chuck in the washing machine very day spring/summer dresses but have come up with nothing so far - mind you it's still early.
ReplyDeleteI really should proof read my posts, what a garble that was.
DeleteMaybe I am going to be you when I grow up! I liked the two by two thing - very Noah-ish in a stylish sort of way...
DeleteI am looking for the same dress, likely 1-2 size larger. Hmmm - we should join forces! I love those pics above too - isn't it funny? I need a few new tshirts as well for replacement purposes, but those hardly warranted a pic!
Well notihgn has changed much for the past few years i am either dressed or in lycra. still a schlumpadinka and trying to get out of it but the boxes wont let me...But its good that you don't want anything - ride with it bc believe those phases dont last too long!
ReplyDeleteI love that - "The boxes won't let me| - really Naomi - you should be in a reality TV Show "The Haunting of the Mews House"
DeleteAgree - once I buy a few things and run out of money then I will love EVERYTHING! That's why I am waiting till late April/early May. It won't be warm enough for spring clothing till then anyway and I will make do!
Still think it's a bit too early. I agree with CSW, quit looking for now and pick it up again in a month. By May everything will be on sale too. The evening gown is gorgeous. I am finding myself drawn to other vendors, designers, stores, than what was once my tried and true. With that, the aesthetic changes a bit along with the color palette.
ReplyDeletehi bb - agree on the wait which is why I am thinking late april/early May for the buy (though I do reserve the right to pick up something in FLA if the mood hits!). though am glad to establish size in a few stores/brands I have not bought much in before.
DeleteI also have a bunch of things to consign and giveaway. sigh..
Well thanks for the kind words Wenders and yes I would love a working holiday! I think the ikat type prints, tribal looks etc along with embellishments are pushing some of us towards a cleaner aesthetic. The same thing is happening to me. I've been interested in basics because that's what I need apparently, I feel like a puppy has brought a real lifestyle change. But yet I was still interested in a cute skirt suit I saw on Gigi's blog this morning, and it's from the JCrew March release (though I couldn't find it on the website, I looked!) Love me a skirt suit even without occasion to wear it!
ReplyDeleteI'm very curious to see what you will buy in May... I love your signature look of patterned pants and sweater, but you also look so pretty in dresses.
Hi Dani - it's so funny - I haven't worn patterned pants once this winter, not once, so I guess I can no longer claim them as a signature look, can I? i'm just as curious as you are as to what I will buy! And I do love some dresses that's for sure!
DeleteI love that picture of Sofia in those clean lines. I am a Plain dresser for the most part, lots of neutrals, always good black trousers, but it's true that the cut of clothing evolves. 2004 perfect pants are not quite right now ( and gone). Remember the professional suits from the 90's? We wouldn't be caught dead in those now!
ReplyDeleteI know. That's why I'm giving away my suits. If I need more than one, I can buy another one. I want someone to get use out of them before it's too late!
DeleteI am liking your new fashion direction and shopping strategy. Carry on! I feel the same way, nothing I'm liking right now and I do need to save for some upcoming trips. If I can dream, I am drawn to Bottega Veneta collections. Luxurious but nothing overdone or fussy.
ReplyDeleteI love BV, Marie 0- wouldn't that be a treat?????
DeleteI am hoping by the time I am ready to shop I will be in love, but I think I am moving into simpler silhouettes!
I love all the looks you have shown. I have always been a minimalist at heart, I have never felt comfortable in anything fussy or frilly. But I am also like you, nothing really appeals to me right now but it's more a case of budget than any other concerns. Staring at my dwindling savings keeps the shopping impulse in check!
ReplyDeletemoney, sigh!!! I do love the odd frill, but am finding as I get order it needs to be more odd. I don't know. It can make me feel too girlish...
DeleteMy work style has evolved quite a bit over time -- away from trousers and blazers to dresses and pencil skirts, for the most part. But my casual clothes feel like they generally have not evolved so much. Yes, I definitely have a number of skinny jeans (new! evolved!), but a lot of flares/clogs/sweaters/button-downs for weekends that I have had for any number of years. Some are the same as older versions, but in new sizes. For me, I think it is less a question of my style evolving so much as I get distracted by new pretty things and ideas and want to try them out. My salary is sufficient that (at present) the amount that I spend on frippery doesn't bother me so much -- it probably reflects poorly on my character, but I love shopping and regard it and outfit-putting-together as a bit of a hobby.
ReplyDeleteM, I was able to do that when I was corporate so have at 'er I say. I think it may also be about age. I think it is natural to accumulate a lot and try different styles and approaches before we start to settle on what we want to wear!
DeleteThe NY Times just had an article about Pheobe Philo and her drapey comfortable classic aesthetic which I love. Like you I loved those simple straight line clothes, but then! then - and its the Kiwi wahine in me - I love the overdone, bright and kitsch as well and I can't resist - loving all these tropical looks Have got better though.
ReplyDeleteJust went to look - never associated her with Celine, so that tells you how much I know. Some of it is quite pretty, some I would look like a hobo in! I do love her style!
DeleteAgain, we are on the same page with fashion. I, too have been wanting more neutrals in my closet. After my second pregnancy, all I wanted from J Crew were prints and bright colors. Now that I'm over that phase, I want buy more neutrals. I think it's very normal to have these kinds of evolutions in life. Also, NOTHING is exciting or appealing to me in anyway. I'm just bored with the new offerings and quite frankly, I have more options in my closet to make use of than I care to admit! My wallet will be happy this year, for sure.
ReplyDeleteWendy - maybe the Wendys have shed some sartorial skin and are looking to be like shiny ponies?
DeleteAfter my baby I went crazy got all the JC brights too... Now 2 yrs later I'm like what was I thinking! I'm glad I'm not the only one ! :)
DeleteAnon - I resemble that remark! I love colour, but I went kind of over the top....
DeleteI blame it on my Gemini birth, but I vacillate between the updated English country aesthetic of my mother with the spare clean wardrobe of Robin Wright in House of Cards. Love having choice and could never pare it down to the bare minimum.
ReplyDeleteMy mother always believed that young ladies should buy plenty of cheaper clothes (with gifts of more classic "lasters") in order to find out what their styles were. Once you know what you love, then you can invest for the long haul. I have two long hauls with overlap i.e. Brooks Brothers silk blouses are beautiful, timeless, and fit both my aesthetics. Great with skinny jeans, smashing trouser suit, or tweed skirts. Thanks for the food for thought, as ever.
Rebecca - I think your mother is bang on! Hence my thoughts to Monty above - I think when you are a certain age you ought to be experimenting. I could never love just plain classic preppy clothes, it just isn't me, and I know what you mean about liking a little of something else, so I think that is key - to mix and match your muses till they become you...
DeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteI really like your choices and love the simplicity . I'm a big fan of Judith Charles and when we went to France this past September that's all I wore. The quality and fit have not changed since the beginning. I bought the sleeveless top in the picture and the fit is amazing.
Have you started packing?
I have my things in a pile and am now watching the weather to see how much "hot" gets to come or if I should merely pack for warm and coolish! Once I see the weather reports on Sunday I will get it all sorted out! Good to know about the top. I have loved every Judith and Charles piece I ever bought!
DeleteLike everybody said it is natural,that the style and tast changes or otherwise we would be stuck:)
ReplyDeleteI find lots of things i like and enjoy buying clothes and accessories,but i think i have found my style(mostly) and i think it is also fun to experiment.
But i can also understand the point your coming from and its good to stick to the "real" Wendy(if that makes sense).
You are bang on Ina!
DeleteI love the simplicity of well cut classics, but definitely feel my best in them when I am at my fittest- which waxes and wanes in direct proportion to the amount of snow days in a month! I LOVE the boho top. Where is that from?
ReplyDeletesIGH - I HEAR YOU! Although a well cut outfit hides a multitude of sins....The top is from a local shop here in Atlantic Canada called Envy. It's by a company called Audrey 3+1 and it buttons up the back. You can see it on me here:
Deletehttp://onecantgetoverthehabit.blogspot.ca/2014/02/style-wednesday-disney-chic.html
Wendy i forgot to say i love Sophia Coppola too,not only because of her style,but because her and her daughter s name are my daughters names(Sophia and Romy).
ReplyDeleteI seriously heart those names!
DeleteFunny, I've been eyeing the Emerson Fry website a lot over the last few days. Not my usual style at all, but it's so hard to want to wear happy colorful clothes when it's so cold outside. Hard lines and serious colors just seem so much more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I want to go shopping with you on one of your half-yearly trips. :)
Oh you and Lane and I in bean town!
DeleteI long for more simplistic items that I can easily match other items to - interchangeable pants and skirts to go with simple tops and blazers. Ahhh to have a larger wardrobe space and more simplistic ideals!
ReplyDeleteLaura - I hear you! I think that was my one huge problem with JC (which by the way, I still like and still plan to visit in NYC) - when I shopped almost exclusively at JC, I was drawn to all the prints, etc, but it became difficult to match it all... I would like some simplicity for awhile!
DeleteI get bored too easily. I refuse to quest for the Perfect and Singular Thing, be it a white shirt, a pencil skirt, or a leather jacket. It's just another way of elevating a material - oriented life to unpretentiousness.
ReplyDeleteYou should know better that to try to make me think about anything during February.
Fred- I have long given up the quest for the perfect anything as well. I like the above today and reserve the right to completely change my mind tomorrow! I love that line about material-oriented life to unpretentiousness! I don't actually believe there is such a thing as investment dressing anyhow. The things you end up living and wearing for years are often things you would never dream you would love as much as you do and some of those are expensive and some are quite cheap!
Delete